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2020-2021 Model Arab League BACKGROUND GUIDE

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2020-2021 Model Arab League BACKGROUND GUIDE 2020-2021 Model Arab League BACKGROUND GUIDE Special Council on Technology and Cybersecurity ncusar.org/modelarableague Original draft by Ilze Greever, Chair of the Special Council on Technology and Cybersecurity at the ​ ​ ​ ​ 2020-2021 National University Model Arab League, with contributions from the dedicated staff and volunteers at the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. Delegates, Welcome to the 2020-2021 Special Council on Technology and Cybersecurity. My name is Ilze Greever, and I’m excited for the opportunity to be your chair this year. I am a third year at Northeastern University, studying Political Science with minors in International Relations and Computer Science. This year's Special Council is focused on the future of the Arab world and the importance of adapting policy to changing technology. The topics of the council explore the many impacts of technology on everything from economic opportunities to human rights norms, to security policies. As you prepare for this council, I want to emphasize the importance of in-depth research and understanding the specific position and needs of the state you represent. The topics this council will take on are complex and there is a wide range of technological capacity between states in the League, so understanding what each state brings to the discussion will be especially important in this council. Creating League wide solutions for these issues will require creativity, cooperation, and problem solving, and all of that begins with your research. I also want to emphasize the importance of not just debate, but of diplomacy. Diplomacy is not just about representing the interests of your state (or representing your ideas); it is also about negotiation, working together, and finding common ground. I am confident that if you focus on these two things, not only will you be well prepared, you will also have a great time participating in debate. Though it will be different than our typical experience at conferences in past years, we will still have the chance to learn about policy issues, discuss them, and propose solutions together and I am very excited to work with all of you towards that goal as your chair. I can’t wait to meet all of you at either the Northeast Regional or National University model and hear all of your amazing ideas on these topics. Best, Ilze Greever Topic I: Evaluating broadband access and information and communication infrastructure in order to improve technological access in the region. I. Intro A. General Background Globally, economic and social development is increasingly driven by digital technologies. Technology has created new opportunities for communication through video calling, messaging, and online meetings. Technology has expanded commerce through online banking and mobile money transfers while improving education through digital classrooms, online resources, and learning management applications. Advances in technology have also increased information access and political mobilization. All play an important role in shaping the way people interact with the world and the way the world develops. But, broadband access and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) exist as a precursor to all that development because without internet access digital resources are inaccessible. This lack of access is referred to as the digital divide. Globally, only 53.6 percent of the world’s population was estimated to have access to the internet in 2019.1 From 2010 to 2017, an increase of 1 percent in broadband penetration (that is the percentage of the country that has access to broadband internet) yielded a 0.08 percent increase in GDP.2 For mobile broadband, a 1 percent increase yielded a 0.15 percent increase in GDP.3 Beyond fueling domestic growth, internet infrastructure contributes to a state’s ability to attract foreign investment, boost competitiveness in global markets, and increase overall productivity- all of which have economic impacts.4 Network access can also help countries diversify their economies with new market sectors, which is especially relevant in the Arab World where many of the region's economies are centered around energy exports.5 Digitization provides many opportunities for increased development, all of which rely on broadband and ICT infrastructure. B. History in the Arab World Access to broadband internet and other information and communication technologies varies throughout the League. While many of the GCC countries have nearly universal connectivity, other states struggle with the basic infrastructure to support widespread access to technology. Mobile network density significantly outpaces broadband access in the region. The region has 1 Statistics. International Telecommunications Union. 2020. ​ ​ https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx 2 Arab Development Portal. United Nation Development Program. December 2018. ​ ​ https://www.arabdevelopmentportal.com/indicator/ict-0 3 Ibid 4 Broadband Networks in the Middle East and North Africa. The World Bank. February 2014. ​ ​ https://www.worldbank.org/content/dam/Worldbank/document/MNA/Broadband_report/Broadband_MENA_Chapt er1.pdf 5 Ibid high mobile coverage; 91 percent of the population of Arab states is covered by a 3G or higher mobile network.6 On the other hand, fixed broadband access levels remain low in the region, with 5.1 subscriptions per 100 people as of 2018.7 This difference in density is largely due to the high rates of mobile connectivity in GCC countries. The lower rates of broadband connectivity are also affected by a lack of investment in broadband infrastructure, especially in lower income countries. Underdeveloped infrastructure poses a huge challenge when networks fail. For example, in Yemen in January of 2020, a severed undersea cable took out 80 percent of the country’s broadband network capacity.8 The severed cable affected other countries in the region including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, but Yemen’s undeveloped infrastructure contributed to the lack of redundancy that made the effects so extreme.9 Improving infrastructure in the region, especially for less wealthy states is critical to improving ICT access in the Arab world. Additionally, while individuals may be covered by or have access to a network, they may not be able to afford to use the network or have a device to connect with. In the MENA region, an estimated 50% of the population is not connected to mobile broadband internet despite being covered by a network.10 Much of this can be attributed to smartphone access, as of 2018 while 75% of Gulf citizens had smartphones, only 52% of those in North Africa and 39% in other Arab states had mobile devices.11 C. Finding a Solution to the Problem: Past, Present, and Future The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development has seven targets for 2025 towards closing the digital divide, including all states having a funded National Broadband Plan, having entry level broadband services priced at less than 2% of monthly Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, and broadband internet penetration reaching 75% worldwide for both men and women.12 As of 2018, Somalia, Yemen, Mauritania, Libya, Lebanon, and Iraq all lacked national broadband development plans or policies for improving ICT access.13 And even in states where broadband is available, it may not be affordable. For the MENA region, broadband services on 6 Measuring Digital Development. International Telecommunication Union. 2019. ​ ​ https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/facts/FactsFigures2019.pdf 7 Arab Development Portal 2018 ​ ​ 8 Hay Newman, Lily. Cut undersea cable plunges Yemen into days-long internet outage. Wired. 13 January 2020. ​ ​ https://wired.me/technology/privacy/yemen-internet-blackout-undersea-cable/ 9 Ibid 10 11 Ibid 12 2025 Targets: “Connecting the Other Half”. The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development. ​ ​ ​ https://www.broadbandcommission.org/Documents/BD_BB_Commission_2025%20Targets_430817_e.pdf 13 The State of Broadband: Broadband catalyzing sustainable development. The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development. September 2018. https://saluddigital.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/BBC.-The-State-of-Broadband-2018.pdf average cost 3.6 percent of the average monthly income and mobile broadband services cost on average 7.7 percent of the average monthly income.14 To reach these goals states will not only need to improve access to broadband, but also the affordability of broadband services. Network improvements are also critical to improving growth and opportunity in the MENA region. Increasing connections between regions to allow for redundancy and improving network capacities through higher speed connections and fiber optic cables would play an important role in improving digital access and communication. A 10 percent rise in broadband access could increase GDP growth by up to 1.4 percent.15 Even more so, a unified digital market, connecting the many states in the region, could increase GDP by around $95 billion per year.16 The region also has other opportunities for improving access, notably by focusing on emerging technologies. One of the largest advancements in Middle Eastern ICT infrastructure has been the development of 5G networks in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.17 5G networks have several benefits over previous networks including speeds closer to fixed broadband, higher network capacity, and decreased network latency.18 It is estimated that 5G technology in GCC states could generate over 273 billion dollars in the next ten years.19 Expanding network technology is a huge boon for the GCC and if expanded to other countries could provide similar benefits. II. Questions to Consider in Your Research ● What does technology access look like in my state? Is it widespread or limited? Is access equitable? ● What are the common uses of technology and innovation for my state? How might those uses be expanded? ● How widespread is broadband access for my state? What does my state’s national broadband plan include? ● What obstacles exist for expanding access? III. Questions a Resolution Might Answer ● What obstacles exist to improving broadband access throughout the League? 14 Rogy, Michel.
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